Category: Bible Reading & Meditation

“See, your King shall come to you; a just Savior is He, meek…” –Zechariah 9:9 Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem “meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt” (Zec 9:9). Jesus continues to invite us: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29, our transl). Jesus promises: “Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5, RSV-CE). The Greek word translated “meek” is sometimes translated “gentle,” “lowly,” and “mild.” Meekness is not weakness. In fact, it is strength. The meek are so strong that they overcome the temptations to...

“Then they will fast.” –Matthew 9:15 Mass Readings: July 8 First: Genesis 27:1-5,15-29; Resp: Psalm 135:1-6; Gospel: Matthew 9:14-17 Listen to the Mass Readings Jesus’ disciples did not fast, while the Pharisees and John’s disciples did fast (Mt 9:14). Jesus explained that His disciples would fast later after they had received a new life in the Spirit. This was necessary because fasting in Jesus’ name is so powerful it would be incompatible with the old lifestyle. For example, Jesus’ kind of fasting is sometimes very extreme. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights (Mt 4:2). This was much longer than...

“She died.” –Genesis 23:2 Mass Readings: July 7 First: Genesis 23:1-4,19; 24:1-8,62-67; Resp: Psalm 106:1-5; Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13 Listen to the Mass Readings Sarah died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven (Gn 23:1). Abraham, her husband, died thirty-eight years later at the age of one hundred and seventy-five (Gn 25:7). God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations and receive the promised land. When Abraham died, he owned a few feet of the promised land which he purchased for Sarah’s burial plot (see Gn 23:19). At his death, Abraham had only two grandchildren from...

“Drive out that slave and her son!” –Genesis 21:10 Mass Readings: July 5 First: Genesis 21:5,8-20;Resp: Psalm 34:7-13;Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34;Listen to the Mass Readings Today’s Reflection on the Mass http://www.mycatholic.com/reflections/God promised Abraham a son so that he would be the father of nations (Gn 15:4ff). However, Abraham and Sarah were getting very old, and God’s promise seemingly wasn’t coming to pass. So Sarah took control and gave Abraham her maid Hagar as a surrogate mother. “Hagar bore him Ishmael” (Gn 16:16). Years later, God’s perfect timing arrived, and Sarah conceived and bore Isaac. God “did for her as He had...